It's that time again--time to figure out my time. Back in December I set a lot of goals for myself, including my writing, but I didn't go into specifics about the summer. Finals week is almost ended, and I have a vast expanse laying ahead of me.
My first goal has to be to write every day--no exceptions.
I've been pretty content with writing at least once a week, or even whenever I get around to it. My classes have required a lot of time this semester, and I rationalized it out freely. Now, there's plenty of time.
My second goal should deal with what type of writing I want to do.
Do I want to dedicate the summer to a single long work? I'll always free write, and I'll always get distracted by little projects. But, is that where I want to focus my time? I have a few solid concepts I'd like to expand into novels. How do I choose?
My third goal needs to be more technically oriented.
I need to better understand how the writing world works. Even though I'm not ready to send anything in, I should start practicing writing query letters. And I should find places where I'll potentially send manuscripts in the future.
I'd also like to see where short stories can be submitted. Short fiction has always been a passion of mine, and I don't want to have to wait around until my name is out there in the literary world to write a compilation of short stories ad poetry. I don't necessarily want to submit things piecemeal, but the exposure would be beneficial, and I'm impacient. There's also a writer I know who would like to submit her stuff.
To my readers: what are your writing aspirations for the next season?
I want to challenge you to really work them out. Mine definitely aren't finished here. I've got a lot of tweaking and list-making to do. I encourage you to do the same.
Those seem like good places to start. I might suggest looking through Writer's Market. It has a ton of resources and contest listings. It should at least be a good place to start. I would totally like to see you try to write a longer-ish work!
ReplyDeletePS: Because I read your short story and never commented on it, because I'm lazy, here's some input:
I really dig the premise of the story and the descriptive nature of your writing. Those have always been your strong points I've felt. I thought this story in particular was sort of abrupt. I read the end and thought that there should have been more. Not that I want you to add another 3000 words or anything, I just felt like the ending could use some work. Your style is very intriguing and witty -- I couldn't stop reading after I started it. One of your better stories that I've read overall.
Goals are a great way to start. Even setting apart a specific time of day would be good. Look at the works you have outlined and see which one you would enjoy working on the most.
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